Looking back at some memorable NFL games on Thanksgiving

The NFL's special day

The NFL is proof that turkey and pigskin go as well together as mashed potatoes and gravy. FOX Sports Senior NFL Writer Alex Marvez’s look at 16 memorable games and moments from Thanksgiving Day.

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16 -- 1989: Philadelphia 27, Dallas 0

In what was also known as Bounty Bowl I, the Cowboys accused Eagles head coach Buddy Ryan of offering his players a financial incentive to injure Dallas quarterback Troy Aikman and kicker Luis Zendejas. Eagles defensive tackle Reggie White also became the first recipient of TV analyst John Madden’s trademark Turkey Leg Award.

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15 -- 2007: Green Bay 37, Detroit 26

The Packers didn’t need an oven to cook turkey and trimmings. They could have simply used the heat emanating from Brett Favre’s right arm. Green Bay’s quarterback completed 20 consecutive passes in what would prove to be his final Thanksgiving Day game.

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14 -- 2011: Green Bay 27, Detroit 15

The most notable part of Detroit’s eighth consecutive Thanksgiving Day loss were the antics of Lions defensive tackle Ndamukong Suh. His ejection after stomping prone Packers offensive lineman Evan Dietrich-Smith further cemented Suh’s reputation as a dirty player.

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13 -- 1962: Detroit 26, Green Bay 14

This was the only loss Green Bay suffered en route to winning the 1962 NFL championship. The Lions registered a staggering 11 sacks on Packers quarterback Bart Starr with a defense featuring five future Hall of Fame selections.

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12 -- 1994: Dallas 42, Green Bay 31

Jason Garrett will be on the sideline as Cowboys head coach Thursday when Dallas hosts Philadelphia. But two decades earlier, when he was a Cowboys backup quarterback, Garrett adroitly replaced an injured Troy Aikman to stun the Brett Favre-led Packers.

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11 -- 1977: Miami 55, St. Louis Cardinals 14

In a game marred by three bench-clearing brawls, the Cardinals put up a better fight with their fists than on the scoreboard. Six touchdown passes by quarterback Bob Griese marked one of multiple franchise records Miami’s offense set in this blowout.

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10 -- 2012: New England 49, New York Jets 19

An embarrassing Jets performance was exemplified by the infamous “butt-fumble” of quarterback Mark Sanchez, who lost the football when running straight into the ample derriere of guard Brandon Moore. Patriots safety Steve Gregory returned the turnover for a touchdown to punctuate one of the biggest bloopers in NFL history.

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9 -- 2011: Baltimore 16, San Francisco 6

The first NFL meeting featuring two brothers as opposing head coaches didn’t live up to the excessive pregame hype. John Harbaugh’s Ravens pummeled Jim Harbaugh’s 49ers behind nine sacks of San Francisco quarterback Alex Smith.

APPatrick Semansky

8 -- 1976: Detroit 27, Buffalo 14

How does a team lose by double-digits when its running back (O.J. Simpson) gains 273 yards? Buffalo’s offense could muster only 49 more yards behind backup quarterback Gary Marangi, and kicker George Jakowenko missed two first-quarter field goals.

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7 -- 1998: Minnesota 46, Dallas 36

Randy Moss was furious that Dallas didn’t select him with the No. 8 overall pick that year as the wide receiver was led to believe it would. Moss extracted revenge with three touchdown catches of 50-plus yards, marking the first of numerous times he would torment the Cowboys during a storied 14-year NFL career.

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6 -- 1980: Chicago 23, Detroit 17 (OT)

Even by Lions standards, this was a tough way to lose. Chicago quarterback Vince Evans scored on the final play of regulation -- after a nice second half by Walter Payton -- to trigger overtime followed by Bears running back Dave Williams returning the subsequent kickoff 95 yards for a touchdown to win the game.

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5 -- 1925: Chicago Bears 0, Chicago Cardinals 0

At a time when college football was more popular than the pro game, Red Grange helped the NFL gain valuable ground. Grange made his debut for the Bears on Thanksgiving Day as a two-way player who drew a then-record crowd of 36,000 fans to Wrigley Field.

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4 -- 1997: Detroit 55, Chicago 20

Of his 10 Thanksgiving Day games, this was Barry Sanders’ most impressive. The Pro Football Hall of Fame running back darted for 167 yards and three touchdowns to pass Eric Dickerson as the second-leading rusher in NFL history.

AFP/Getty ImagesMATT CAMPBELL

3 -- 1998: Detroit 19, Pittsburgh 16 (OT)

Don’t blame the Steelers for flipping out about this loss. Confusion between Pittsburgh running back Jerome Bettis and referee Phil Luckett about the overtime coin toss call gave Detroit the chance to drive for the game-winning field goal.

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2 -- 1974: Dallas 24, Washington 23

Reserve rookie quarterback Clint Longley became the most improbable hero in NFL Thanksgiving Day tradition. Replacing an injured Roger Staubach in the second half, Longley heaved two long touchdown passes – including the game-winning Hail Mary to Drew Pearson – to lead a 13-point Cowboys comeback.

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1 -- 1993: Miami 16, Dallas 14

The Cowboys had Miami beaten until Dallas defensive tackle Leon Lett unnecessarily and unsuccessfully tried to recover a field goal his team had blocked. The Dolphins turned Lett’s blunder into the game-winning score against the defending Super Bowl champions at icy Texas Stadium.